Jesus - Mankind’s Peace

 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Luke wrote, “Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.”  God’s greatest delight is mankind.  He loved us first even when we were at our worst.  Jesus exhibits God’s happy delight to be human.  For God is satisfied to have all His fullness dwelling in Christ.  Luke’s Gospel is the Gospel of peace.  The four prominent sacrifices in the old covenant are emphasised in the four Gospels.  In Matthew we see the death of Christ in the figure of the trespass offering; in Mark the sin offering; in Luke the peace offering; and in John the burnt offering.  The peace God gives us is emphasised in Luke’s Gospel, which is why the angel’s announced peace and hope.  On the day of His resurrection Jesus said, “Peace to you.”  Jesus exhibits God’s happy delight to be human as He gives peace to us.  This peace is only for those who believe that Jesus died to forgive humanity’s sins, bless by taking all their curses and heal every sickness reconciling us to our holy Father as His children.  Amen!

Wisdom Through Calvary’s Cross

 “She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; She hath also furnished her table.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, “She has made ready a banquet feast and the sacrifice has been killed. She has mingled her wine, and the table’s all set.”  As mentioned earlier Christ is made to us the Wisdom of God.  The sacrifice here points to Calvary.  Wisdom’s pillar is the Cross.  Wisdom’s feast teaches us the ways of God.  We feed our hearts on revelation-truth that transforms us; then we implement with wise strategies the understanding we have learned at the feasting table. Wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form and it always bears the beautiful harvest of righteousness! Good seeds of Wisdom’s fruit will be planted with peaceful acts by those who cherish making peace.  Let’s act on the true Wisdom from above which is our true identity in Christ - Christ in us the hope of glory - feasting on the Bread of Life and focused on the sacrifice of the Blood of the Lamb of God.  Amen!

The Word is Revealed to the Lovers of God

 “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”

Luke 1:1-4 KJV

As Luke recorded, “I am writing for you, mighty lover of God, an orderly account of what Jesus accomplished and fulfilled among us. Several eyewitness biographies have already been written, using as their source material the good news preached among us by His early disciples, who were from the beginning loving servants of the Living Expression. Now I am passing on to you this accurate compilation of my own meticulous investigation based on numerous eyewitness interviews. It is appropriate for me to write this, for He also appeared to me so that I would reassure you beyond any shadow of a doubt the reliability of all you have been taught of Him.” Although addressed to Theophilus, which means “lover of God”, it is meant for all who are lovers of God even today!   The early disciples ministered the Word which is Jesus Christ, the Eternal and Creative Word made visible to us.  He is the divine Self-Expression of all that God is, contains and reveals in incarnated flesh.  Just as we express ourselves in words, God has chosen to express Himself in Christ.  Luke wrote in Greek and used the term “Logos” from above, also used by John in his Gospel, revealing that the Lord Jesus appeared to him and authorised him to compile his inspired Gospel.   Let’s know God and be a lover of God inspired by His revealed Word.  Amen!

Christ is the Wisdom of God to Us

 “Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors:”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, ‭‭”Can’t you hear the voice of Wisdom?  From the top of the mountains of influence she speaks into the gateways of the glorious city.  At the place where pathways merge, at the entrance of every portal, there she stands, ready to impart understanding, shouting aloud to all who enter, preaching her sermon to those who will listen.”  Wisdom is personified here as Lady Wisdom, a figure of speech for God Himself, Who invites us to receive the best way to live , the excellent and noble way of life found in Jesus Christ.  Jesus is Wisdom personified, for He was anointed with the Spirit of Wisdom.  The Church is also a gateway, the house of God, the portal to heaven, that Jesus calls a “city set on a hill.” Christ is the Head of the Church, where the Wisdom of God is revealed.  True Wisdom is easy to find - we only have to listen to her voice.  Though it comes from above, it is found on street level.  Creation and conscience are two voices that speak to our hearts.  To discover Wisdom we don’t need a brilliant intellect, but a tender, attentive heart.  Let’s live this awesome gift of eternal life given to us with a tender and attentive heart, listening to Christ Who is made to us the Wisdom of God by the Holy Spirit and enjoy this abundant life right here on earth as part of the Church, the Body of Christ, in the Kingdom of God.  Amen!

The Power God Gives to Those Who Believe in Christ

 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Mark’s Gospel ended with this command, Jesus said to His disciples, “As you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the Gospel to the entire human race! Whoever believes the good news and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe the good news will be condemned. And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of My Name. They will speak in tongues. They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.”  The Gospel is such wonderful news of the God Who loves mankind more than His own life, the God Who has loved us with an everlasting love and has accepted mankind in His Beloved Son, Jesus.  Those who believe and receive, rush to be baptised into Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection.  Then He gives the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and even when poison is give, the resurrection life of Christ in us has no effect.  Every tormentor leaves and sickness departs when we lay hands on the sick or cast out devils.  What power God has given His children who believe so that they set such captives free.  Amen!

Wisdom to Resist the Religious System & the Traditions of the World System

 “Now is she without, now in the streets, And lieth in wait at every corner.)”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The wisdom from above says, “Her type can be found soliciting on street corners on just about any night.”  This parable not only warns against the obvious evils of adultery and immorality, but is also a warning to the anointed young people in ministry, not to be seduced by the religious system.  Wisdom looks from the window (revelation and insight) of her house (the true Church of Jesus) and sees a young person (not fully mature) who has placed his or herself in the path of sin.  This makes such a person vulnerable to the seduction of the “harlot” system of a works-based religion that entices into partnership, covering and ordination with this system.  This “harlot” religious works-based system is loud and stubborn (the old carnal life never dealt with), and will not remain in her house (the true Church of Jesus); but lives in the darkness of compromise which is the way that leads to death.  The “harlot” doesn’t remain faithful to the husband (our Bridegroom-God). Let’s be uncompromisingly loyal and faithful to our True Bridegroom-God, our Lord Jesus Christ, giving Him first love in every area of our life which He purchased with His Blood.  Amen!

Receiving Christ Qualifies Us as God’s Children

 “And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Mark recorded, “Now, Pilate was holding in custody a notorious criminal named Barabbas, one of the assassins who had committed murder in an uprising. The crowds gathered in front of Pilate’s judgment bench and asked him to release a prisoner to them, as was his custom.”  In Aramaic Bar-Abbas means “son of a father” or “son who is like his father”.  This is the picture of every son of Adam, our father.  The true Son of the Father was crucified that day.  One man wanted a political revolution, the Other a revolution of love filling the hearts of all men.  It is hard for us to understand and comprehend fully the loving heart of God by sending His Son to die in the place of the sons of Adam including Bar-Abbas.  This was to avert the judgment over mankind through the punishment that Jesus took.  Therefore, as many as received Jesus Christ, to them He gave the right to become children of our Father, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  He Who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Behold what manner of love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are.  Amen!

Keep Sharing the Gospel Despite Opposition

 “A naughty person, a wicked man, Walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, He teacheth with his fingers;”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The wisdom from above says, “Here’s another life’s lesson to learn from observing the wayward and wicked man.  You can tell they are lawless.  They’re constant liars, proud deceivers, full of clever ploys and convincing plots.  In the Hebrew this gives a picture of those who wink their eyes, shuffle their feet, and point their fingers - such are the devious ways of the wicked.  Jesus encountered them when with such maliciousness, the Pharisees tried to entrap Him with a cunning ploy of asking whether Jews should pay tax to Rome or not!  Jesus knew they were testing Him and He silenced them completely.  The evil one was totally silenced when Jesus was sacrificed on the Cross as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.  Today the devil connives to stop believers from sharing the Gospel by sending his messengers to burn churches and stop believers by persecuting, imprisoning or even killing them.  But as Jesus said, “I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  The prophet prophesied “Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end..”. Hallelujah!

New Covenant, a Better Covenant Established on Better Promises

 “And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Mark records, Jesus said to them, “This is My Blood, which seals the new covenant poured out for many. I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the day comes when we drink it together in the Kingdom feast of My Father.”  This new covenant is a better covenant because it is established on better promises.  In this new covenant, God freely gives us forgiveness, life, salvation and every heavenly spiritual blessing.  Jesus serves His disciples the Bread and the Cup which means He is serving us His death and resurrection.  This is now our feast and constant supply of God’s life.  We are now in the realm of the Kingdom of God.  The Holy Spirit brings us into the Body of Christ and into the reality of God’s Kingdom realm.  It is growing and increasing in scope, and every time believers drink of the Cup of Communion, Jesus is present with us.  It is the Lord’s Table not ours.  Jesus now drinks with us in a new way, and not just once a year at Passover, but every time we worship Him by taking communion.  Amen!

The Only Way to Remove the Sting of Sin

 “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, And her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death; Her steps take hold on hell.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above teaches, “Remember this: The lips of a seductress seem sweet like honey, and her smooth words are like music in your ears. But I promise you this: In the end all you’ll be left with is a bitter conscience. For the sting of your sin will pierce your soul like a sword. She will ruin your life, drag you down to death, and lead you straight to hell.”  This kind of person seduces, deceives and drags to hell.  For the believer, the promiscuous person can be a picture of the false anointing of the religious spirit that attempts to seduce us, weaken our message, and rob the anointing of God from our ministries.  Of course there is also a clear and dire warning for all to stay sexually pure or face the consequences.  Wormwood is bitterness and when bitterness and unforgiveness is harboured in the heart, conscience becomes hardened piercing the soul.  That life becomes a hellish experience dragging to death.  But the Gospel is, that the sacred Blood of the Messiah thoroughly cleanses our consciences! For by the power of the eternal Spirit He has offered Himself to God as the perfect Sacrifice that now frees us from our dead works to worship and serve the living God.  This is the only way to remove the sting of sin that makes our conscience bitter unto death - the perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on your and my behalf and receiving the forgiveness of sin.  Amen!